Measuring and weighing mechanism.



PATENTED MAR. 15, 1904.

5 SHEBTSSHEET 1.

R. L. PATTERSON. MEASURING-AND WEIGHING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 19; 1901.

no MODEL.

PATENTED MAR. 15, 1904..

APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 19, 1901.

5 SHBETSSHEET 2..

no MODEL.

we Noam warms cov Mmuuwo, msnmo No. 754,937. PATENTED MAR. 15, 1904.

I R., L. PAT'I'ERSON.- MEASURING AND WEIGHING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION TILED NOV. 19, 1901.

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No. 754,937. PATENTED MAR. 15, 1904. R. L. PATTERSON.

MEASURING AND WEIGHING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FIL D NOV. 19, 1901. N0 MODEL.

5 SHEETS-SHEET .4.

3/ awwewfoz "m: wonms PETERS co, mom-Luau. wAsHmmom-L- No. 754,937.PATENTED MAR. 15, 1904.

R. L. PATTERSON.

MEASURING AND WEIGHING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 19, 1901. N0 MODEL.

. 5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

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UNITED STATES Patented March 15, 1904.

PATENT QEEICE.

MEASURING AND WEIGHING MECHANISM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 754,937, dated March15, 1904.

Original application filed August 20, 1897, Serial No. 648,936. Dividedand this application filed November 19, 1901. Serial No. 82,907. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that'I, RUEUs L. PATTERSON, acitizen of the United States, residing at New York city, in the boroughof Manhattan and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Measuring and Weighing Mechanism, of which the followingis a specification.

My invention pertains to machinery for packing tobacco and othermerchandise. The complete machine is designed to measure the substanceto be packed, to weigh it with great nicety, to place it in bags orother holders, and compress it therein, to apply a revenue-stamp to thepackage, to apply a label, (one 01' more,) and, if desired, in the caseof tobacco, to in troducc a package of cigarette-papers, a card, orother token beneath one of the labels, and, finally, to deliver thefinished packages in regular order to a tray or receptacle. The presentapplication, however, is confined to the measuring and Weighingapparatus, this case beingdivided out of application Serial No. M8336,filed in the Patent Officc on the 20th day of August, 1897, incompliance With the requirements of said ofiice. Inasmuch as it isexpected to retain in the parent case a do scription and illustration ofthe machine in its complete form it is deemed advisable to retain in thepresent description the designations of parts used in the originalapplication in order that the two may be read together withoutconfusion.

In the acccompanying drawings, illustrating this portion of myapparatus, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the feed-hoppers forsupplying material to the machine. detail view showing the lower end ofone of the hoppers and indicating the manner in which it is shut off orprevented from feeding; Fig. 8, a side elevation of the measuring andweighing apparatus, the filling, packing, and labeling mechanism beingomitted; Fig. 4, a side elevation of the measuring and weighingmechanism, on a larger scale, the side of the shell or casing beingbroken away to show the interior; Fig. 5, a partly-sectional view ofsaid mechanism, taken at right angles to Fig. 1; Figs. 6, 7, 8, and 9,end and face elevations Fig. 2 1s av of different forms of feed ordelivery cylinders for adding to the main charge the small quantitynecessary to complete it; Fig. 10, an elevation with the casing of themeasuring device broken away and showing a modification thereof forhandling fine-cut tobacco and similar substances.

General outline of machine-It will conduce to clearness and facility ofunderstanding to briefly describe the machine as a whole and thereafterto explain its various groups of mechanism in detail, taking them in theorder in which the tobacco or other merchandise reaches and is actedupon by each.

In the handling of tobacco and, in fact, with many other matters it isfound expedient to place the stock of material on an upper floor and thepacking and labeling mechanism on a lower floor, suitable spouts orchutes leading from the bin or stock-hopper to the measuring mechanism.

The present machine employs for measuring a wheel or wheels with bucketsor compartments of predetermined size and mechanism for moving saidwheels, so as to employ one or more than one of the compartments at eachoperation, according to the intended size of the package. The extent ofmovement of the measuring wheel or wheels at each step is determined byvarying the point of connection between the pawl carrying lever throughwhich the necessary rotation is effected and an actuating-lever ofuniform throw. From the measuring-wheel the charge is delivered into ascale-pan into which is gradually delivered such additional quantity asshall bring the charge to the precise weight required, essentially as inmy former patent, dated March 23, 1897, and numbered 57 9,546, thedumping of the scale-pan being likewise automatically and positivelyeffected in a manner similar to that of the previous machine.

As the remaining portions of the complete machine are not involved inthe present application the outline and description may terminate here.

Having thus stated the general plan of construction and operation, Ishall proceed to describe in detail the parts involved herein,

which for convenience may be treated under appropriate headings.

]Z e(Z/L0ppers.In practice it is found expedient and, in fact, almostessential to employ a plurality of measuring and weighing devicesoperating successively or in alternation in order that each may workslowly enough to insure perfect action, yet that there shall be suchfrequent delivery of charges as shall enable the packing and labelingmechanism to run rapidly, thus securing high efficiency, both as toquantity and as to quality of work. The present description contemplatesfour measuring and weighingmechanisms, and hence I provide four stock orsupply hoppers 1 1 1 1, as seen in Fig. 1, each in the form of atapering or funnel-shaped bag open at the lower end. Each hopper isprovided at its upper end with a hoop or ring 2, by which itis keptexpanded and by or from which to suspend it. The several hoppers arearranged about a standard 3, furnished with a clamp t, by which theseveral hoops 2 are clasped and held, the standard being screw-threadedat its upper end to permit the clamp to be raised or lowered, asrequired. Each hoop is further supported at its outer side by anadjustable standard 5 of the character shown--that is to say, composedof two parts, one longitudinally adjustable upon and relatively to theother. The lower or delivery end of each hopper hangs over an opening 6in the floor, upon which the standards are secured, and from each ofthese openings a spout or trunk 7, Fig. 1, ex tends down to the shell orcasing 8 of one or another of the measuring-wheels 9. 1n prac tice it isfound advisable to maintain the delivery ends of the hoppers slightlyabove the level of the floor, as by so-doing the air is allowed to enterthe opening 6, and tobacco which otherwise tends to bridge across theopening is caused to pass freely down the spout or trunk. A similarresult may be attained by making the opening 6 somewhat larger than theend of the hopper, which latter may in such case extend slightly intothe opening. The hoppers are by preference made of some woven or textilefabric, which being flexible yields to pressure in different directionsand in great measure prevents the clogging or bridging of the materialwithin the hopper. The slight but constant vibration of the flooroccasioned by running machinery in the build ing is found to besufficient to keep the material moving downward in the hoppers. Toenable the operator or attendant to cut off the flow of any hopper atwill for repairs or for other purposes, the lower end of each isfurnished with a hook and eye or equivalent fastening, whereby the endmay be bent or folded upward, as in Fig. 2, and secured, as shown. Thisis at once simple and effective and serves also to keep the end of thehopper away from the hole, so that the trunk or spout may be readilycleared. From the spouts 7 the to bacco or other substance is deliveredto the measuring devices.

The general construction and arrangement of the measuring apparatus maybe seen in Fig. 3, though its details will be better understood uponreferring also to Figs. 4c and 5, while certain variations ormodifications are shown in Figs. 6 to 10, inclusive.

The measuring apparatus as a whole is supported by a column or standard10, Fig. 3, rising from the main frame of the machine or from the tablethereof and provided at its upper end with a horizontal bar or cross-arm11, from which project two arms or brackets 12, in which are supportedthe ends of a cylindrical rod 13. This rod is or may be fixed againstrotation, though this is not essential, its purpose being merely toserve as an axle for a series of measuring-wheels 9. (Seen in dottedlines in Figs. 3 and 1 and in section in Fig. Each wheel 9 has a hub 14,two circular disks 15, and a series of radial wings or partitions 16,equally spaced to form compartments of uniform size, said compartmentsbeing carefully proportioned to contain just a little less than therequisite charge of a bag or package. Each wing or partition is bypreference furnished with a flexible edge piece or strip 17 to makeclose butyielding contact with the inner face of the shell 8 during aportion of the revolution of the wheel. As best seen in Fig. 4:, theshell or casing 8 has one wall curved on an arc of a circle concentricwith and almost identical in diameter with wheel 9, while its oppositewall is also concentric with said wheel, but is of greater radius. Theresult of this is that at one side there is a close rubbing contact ofthe flexible strips or edge pieces with the wall of the shell, and thereis at the opposite side of the wheel a considerable space into which thematerial to be measured falls, so that all the pockets or compartmentsat that side, as well as those at the top, are open and free to receivematerial. As the material enters the compartments at the side of thewheel at and even below its axis, it is evident that as the wheel turnsthe upgoing open side will be sure to receive its full supply, whichwill, in fact, be somewhat pressed into the pockets or compartments.

1V ithin the shell or casing 8 at the side at which is located thefeeding or filling channel 18 there is arranged a plate or partition 19,having at its lower edge a flexible strip 20, theedge of which restsagainst or liesvery close to the periphery of a dribbling-roll 21,located within the shell or casing close to but below wheel 9. This rollis designed to deliver into the scale-pan gradually the small quantityof material necessary to complete the charge. It turns in a directioncontrary to that of wheel 9, but is locked out of action when thescale-pan is fully charged or while it is being dumped and returned toplace.

The two wheels thus prevent any material from working down between theminto the scale-pan.

The hub 14 of each measuring-wheel is formed or furnished with aratchet-wheel 22 at a point outside the shell or casing and by the sideof each ratchet-wheel there is hung or supported upon the rod 13 a lever23, carrying a spring-pressed dog or. pawl 2A, the free end of whichrests against the periphery of the ratchet-wheel and engagessuccessively with the teeth thereof, as will readily be understood uponreferring to Figs. 3 and 4. Each lever 23 is connected by a rod 25 witha second lever 26, fulcrumed ona rod 27 carried in arms or brackets nearthe base of column 10, and each lever 26 is provided with a stud orrollerto enter a cam-groove in the side face of a disk or cam-plate 28,carried by a driven shaft 29. The grooves in the several cams are oflike contour, but the several camplates are set at such differentangular adjustments about the shaft that at each quarterrevolution ofthe shaft a different cam shall act upon one or another of the levers26, the others meanwhile remaining at rest. The cam-grooves are of theform indicated in Fig. 10, comprising two concentric portions ofdifferent radius, whereby the lever 26 is quickly raised, is held in itselevated position during nearly one half a revolution, is then quicklylowered, and is retained in such low ered position during the balance ofthe revolution. The movements of the levers 23 of course correspond withthose of levers 26, but their throw or range of movement will of coursedepend upon the distance from the axis of shaft or rod 27 at which theconnecting-rods 25 are attached to levers 26, said levers being slottedto permit this point to be varied. hen the pin or bolt 30 by which suchconnection is made is placed at the extreme outer end of the slot inlever 26, the lever 23 will be moved through a sufficient arc to enableits pawl or dog 2 to ride back over two teeth of the ratchet-wheel 22,and consequently to advance said wheel two teeth on the return stroke.As the teeth of the ratchet-wheel correspond in number with thecompartments of wheel 9, it follows that an equal number of compartmentswill be carried to the discharge-point and emptied, or two in the casedescribed. \Vhen, however,the pin or bolt 30 is setinward toward thefulcrum of lever 26, the throw of lever 23 is lessened sufliciently toprevent the pawl or dog 2 L engaging asecond tooth, though passing verynearly the requisite distance. As a consequence of such adjustment themeasuring-wheel will be advanced only far enough to carry onecompartment to the dischargepoint, and hence the contents of only onecompartment will be delivered into the scale-pan. In this way themachine can be quickly set or adjusted to charge bags or packages ofeither of two sizes, and this without making the ratchet-teeth undulysmall or light. If desired, still greater range of adjustment may beprovided, in which case a larger number of changes may be made in thequantity delivered at each actuation of the ineasuringwheels.

Each dribbling-roll 21 carries upon its end or upon its shaft a groovedpulley 31 and a ratchet-wheel 32, these being preferably arranged atopposite ends of the roll, though this is not essential. Alightdriving-belt 33, preferably of circular cross-section, transmits motionto the pulley 31 from a pulley on a counter-shaft 34:, which is drivenby belting either directly or mediately from the main driving-shaft 35of the machine. The belts 33 are left a little slack, so that they mayreadily slip about the pulleys 31 when it is desired to hold thedribbling-rolls out of action, it being understood, of course, that eachis driven independently of the others. To maintain the requisitedriving-friction at all times when the rolls are not locked againstrotation, I provide a belt-tightener in the form of a gravitating pulley36, Fig. 4:, which, however, yields readily when the roll 21 is locked,and thereby permits the belt 33 to slip upon and about the pulley 31.

37 indicates a locking dog or lever of elbow form, pivoted to the sideof the measuringwheel shell or casing 8, and tending, through the actionof gravity, to engage the teeth of ratchet-wheel 32 of thedribbling-roll, and thus to hold said roll against rotation. Thehorizontal arm of dog or lever 37 is connected by suitable intermediaterods 38 or 39 and con necting-bar 4:0 with the yoke-shaped scale- I beametl, which supports a scale-pan 42 beneath the measuring apparatus. Theconnecting-bar 10 is a horizontal bar rigidly attached to the rod 39,which latter is screwthrcaded, passed through aperforated lug or boss onthe side of the scale-beam, and held at any proper adjustment relativelythereto by nuts applied to the threaded stem above and below said lug orboss, as seen in Figs. i and 5. Rod 38 is pivotally connected at itsends to the rigid bar 4:0 and to the long arm of the dog 37. 1V hen thescale-beam descends, the point or locking end of dog or lever 37 will bethrown into engagement with ratchet-wheel 32, and when the scale beamand pan rise it will be thrown out of engagement,thus releasing thedribbling-roll and permitting it to ro tate.

Pivoted to the side of shell or casing 8 is a bent lever 43, one end ofwhich extends beneath the horizontal arm of dog or lever 37 and theother end of which is located in the path of a spur or finger 4A,carried by lever 23. As lever 23 descends to dump or discharge thecontents of one or more of the compartments the spur or finger Hdepresses the'rear end of lever L3, elevates its forward end, therebylifting the horizontal arm of dog or lever 37 and withdrawing said dogfrom engagement with ratchet-wheel 32 if it be not already retracted.The lever 43 thus actuated and temporarily held by the spur or linger 44also serves to sustain the scale-beam 41 and its pan against the impactor the momentum of the charge falling into the pan; but the cam 28 is soset with reference to the measuring-wheel and other parts that after alittle time the lever 23 is again lifted, leaving the scale-beam and itspan free to descend and the dog or lever 37 free to engage and lock thedribbling-roll.

As seen in Fig. 4, the bar 40 plays between two stops and 46, whichlimit the vibration of the scale-beam, and the lower one of which formsa support for the end of said beam while the gates or hinged bottomplates of the scale-pan are being forced open.

lVeig/iz'ng apparatus.The scale-beam 41 is provided with an adjustableweight 47, which may be set to accurately balance the beam, scale-panand charge, and so much of the weight of the dogging devices of roll 21as falls upon the beam. The scale-beam is hung upon knife-edge bearingsin arms or hangers extending downward from the arms 12, which carry themeasuring mechanism.

42 indicates a scale-pan, of which there is one for eachmeasuring-wheel. The pans are preferably of rectangular form andprovided each with two hinged gates or bottom plates 50, which aresustained against the weight of the charge and normally held closed bysprings 51 in essentially the same manner as in my former machine. Eachgate or bottom plate is furnished with a lever 52, the two levers ofeach scale-pan extending inward and lapping past each other, as seen inFig. 4. A pin projects from one lever through a slot in the other andenters a recess in a lever 53, which is fulcrumed on column 10 and isnormally held up by a spring 54. The recess in the free end of lever 53is of such size as to clear the pin 55 when the pan is in its normalposition, so that no part of the weight of lever 53 and no pressure ofspring 54 comes upon said pin at such time, this arrangement beingsimilar to that of the former machine. For the purpose of opening thegates of the scalepans at proper times each lever 53 is connected byarod 56 with a similar lever 57, fulcrumed on rod 27, and each cam-plate28 is furnished with stud or pin 58, Fig. 3, which at a certain point inthe rotation of the disk bears upon and depresses lever 57. This leverdrawing down the lever 53 through rod 56 and overcoming the tension ofspring 54 causes said lever 53 to act upon pin 55 and to swing open thegates orbottom plates of pan 42 against the resistance of springs 51,the scalebeam being at the time sustained by the stop 46, to which bar40 descends when the pan becomes fully charged and tips the beam. Indescending, the beam causes locking-dog 37 to engage ratchet-wheel 32,and thus to hold dribbling-roll 21 against rotation.

All the parts are so set or adjusted that the several measuring andweighing mechanisms @[odvificatioaa-Numerous variations or modificationsof parts of the mechanism are permissible and will in some cases benecessary to adapt the machine to the handling of different products.(vrranulated tobacco is best measured by the pocketed wheel shown anddescribed; but iine-cut tobacco will not feed readily into such ameasure. For this and similar commodities I propose to employ instead ofthe pocketed wheel 9 an endless belt 395, Fig. 10, which may be made ofany suitable flexible material and provided with cross-ribs, teeth, orprojections 396 to draw the material out from the hopper above. Thebeltrolls, or one of them, may be turned a given distance at statedperiods by mechanism essentially or exactly like that employed to turnthe pocketed measuring-wheel, or it may be geared to a roll 397,corresponding to the dribbling-roll 21 of the first-described measuringapparatus and having the same friction-gear and throw-out devices, allas shown in Fig. 10. The roll 397 may take any form suited to cooperatewith belt 395, several forms (designated 397, 397, 397, and 397) beingshown in Figs. 6, 7, 8, and 9 and designed to be used interchangeablywith either the pocketed wheel or the belt, ac cording to the characterof the product handled. The brush-roll shown in Fig. 6 is suited toclear the belt when using dry powders and will work well with thepocketed wheel with certain classes of substances. Numerous othervariations are permissible within the scope and spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In combinationwith flexible hoppers 1, having spreading hoops 2, threaded standard 3,clamp 4, and vertically-adjustable standards 5, all substantially asshown and described.

2. The herein-described measuring device consisting of a wheel having aseries of pockets of definite and like capacity; and means substantiallysuch as described and shown for rotating the wheel to differentdeterminate distances at each operation, whereby one or more pockets maybe emptied at each opera tion.

' 3. In combination with a wheel having a series of pockets; aratchet-wheel; a pawl-carrier; a pawl mounted upon said carrier; andmeans for varying the throw of the pawlcarrier to cause the pawl to rideback over one tooth or more than one and to advance the wheel todischarge a corresponding number of pockets, substantially as shown anddescribed.

4. In combination with a pocketed measuring-wheel, provided with aratchet-wheel; a pawl-carrier; a pawl movable with the carrier andadapted to engage and turn the ratchetwheel; an actu'atinglever formoving the pawl-carrier; a rod connected with the pawlcarrier andadjustably connected with the actuating-lever; and a cam for moving saidlever, the adjustable connection of the rod with the lever permittingthe stroke of the pawl-carrier to be varied to determine the number ofpockets of the measuring-wheel brought to the delivery-point.

5. In a machine for measuring and weighing merchandise, the combinationof a pocketed measuring-wheel; a hopper inclosing said wheel and havingone of its walls conforming closely to the periphery thereof; aratchetwheel 22 applied to the axle of said measuring-wheel; apawl-carrier 23 provided with pawl 24:; rod 25; slotted lever 26; andcam 28 for actuating said lever, whereby the throw of the pawl-carriermay be varied and the pocketed wheel thereby caused to deliver at eachmovement a predetermined and definite quantity of material.

6. In combination with a pocketed measuring-wheel and means for rotatingthe same progressively, a hopper having one of its walls conformingclosely to the periphery of said wheel; a dribbling-roll; driving-gearfor said roll; a scale-pan; and mechanism connected with the scale-panand and serving to stop the rotation of the roll when the scale-pandescends.

7 In combination with a shell or casing 8, a pocketed measuring-wheel 9having its periphery arranged to travel in close proximity to one of thewalls of said shell or casing; means, substantially as shown, forrotating said wheel; a dribbling-roll 21; a scale-beam 41; a dog 37adapted to hold the dribblingroll against rotation; and connections suchas shown and described between the scale-beam and the dog, whereby thelatter is held out of engagement when the scale-beam is elevated and isdrawn into engagement when the beam is lowered.

8. In combination with a pocketed measuring-wheel provided with aratchet-wheel; a

pawl adapted to engage with and to rotate said ratchet-wheel; apawl-carrier for supporting and actuating said pawl; a dribbling-rollprovided with a ratchet-wheel; a dog adapted to engage saidratchet-wheel and hold the d ribblingroll against rotation; a leveradapted. to withdraw the dog from engagement with the ratchet-wheel; anda projection upon the pawlcarrier adapted to engage the lever and tomove the same to withdraw the dog from the ratchet.

9. In combination with measuring-wheel 9 provided with ratchet-wheel 22;pawl-carrier 23 provided with pawl 2a and finger L4; dribbling-roll 21provided with ratchet-wheel 32; scalebea1n 11; dog 3'7 adapted to engagewith ratchet-wheel 32; a connection between the scale-beam and said dog;and a lever 43 interposed between the dog 37 and the finger 4:4: andadapted when acted upon by said finger to withdraw the dog fromengagement with the ratchet-wheel 32.

10. In combination with shell or casing S and measuring-wheel 9;partition 19 provided with flexible edge dribbling-roll 21; and meansfor imparting rotation to the measuring-wheel and to the dribbling-roll.

11. In combination with scale-beam 41 and its pan 42, stops 4:5 and et6;bar L0 carried by the scale-beam and playing between said stops; a lever53 connected with the scale-pan and serving to positively discharge thesame; and means, substantially as shown and described, for actuatingsaid lever.

12. In combination with scale-beam 41 carrying pan 42; stops as and 46;bar carried by the scale-beam and arranged to play between said stops;pivoted gates 50 applied to the scale-pan; a lever 53 having a looseconnection with said gates; a spring 54 serving normally to elevate thelever 53; a cam 28; a lever 57 actuated by said cam; and a rod 56connecting the levers 57 and 53, substantially as and for the purposeset forth.

13. In combination with the continuouslyrotating shaft 3& provided witha pulley; a dribbling-roll 21 provided with a pulley 31 and with aratchet-wheel 32; a belt 33 connecting the two pulleys; a dog or detentadapted to engage the ratchet of the dribbling-roll; and abelt-tightener acting upon the belt 33 and. serving to tighten the samesuificiently to drive the dribbling-roll when the latter is not lockedby the dog or detent.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

RUFUS L. PATTERSON.

\Vitnesses:

F. N. DE LASSIT, M. M. VVHEDBEE.

IIO

